Epix, Amazon Sign Content Deal

Want to watch a streaming version of The Avengers or The Hunger Games?

Odds are you won’t find them on Netflix any time soon.

Amazon and Epix have signed a deal that will allow Amazon’s Prime Instant Video streaming service to feature Epix content. The Amazon.com agreement, financial terms of which weren’t detailed, will add such movies as The Avengers, Iron Man 2, The Hunger Games, Super 8, Thor and more to Amazon’s video offerings.

The agreement is significant in that it confirms that Netflix has let a two-year exclusivity period for the digital distribution of Epix expire. Netflix management had signaled it would do so, but the deal is final confirmation.

Epix is a venture of Viacom, MGM and Lionsgate. It launched with much fanfare with the help of a five-year Netflix deal, two years of which were exclusive to Netflix. The streaming video giant had the chance to extend the exclusivity. If the deal had remained exclusive for five years, it was seen as having a value of $1 billion for Epix. Overall, the Amazon service now has 25,000 movies and TV episodes available.

With the exclusivity out of the way, Epix is expected to look for possible additional digital distribution deals with other companies, such as an online video service from Dish Network.